A judge struck down Idaho's constitutional ban on same-sex marriages

A federal judge late Tuesday deemed Idaho's ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional.

US District Magistrate Candy Dale issued an injunction on Idaho's voter-approved constitutional ban on same-sex marriages. But the ruling was later put on hold by a higher court as the case works through the appeals process, BuzzFeed reported.

The Republican-controlled state government disputed Dale's ruling.

"In 2006, the people of Idaho exercised their fundamental right, reaffirming that marriage is the union of a man and a woman," Idaho Governor Butch Otter said in a statement reported by KTVB. "Today's decision, while disappointing, is a small setback in a long-term battle that will end at the U.S. Supreme Court. I am firmly committed to upholding the will of the people and defending our Constitution."

This is just the latest in a series of court rulings against different states' legislative and constitutional bans on same-sex marriages. Last week, an Arkansas state judge struck down that state's bans and allowed hundreds of same-sex couples to get married. And earlier this year a federal judge in Ohio ordered the state to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages, before putting the decision on hold as it works through the appeals process.

Update: Updated this post to reflect the appeals court's decision to stay the ruling.

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple of big issues with relying on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on:

First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.

Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. And we can’t do that if we have a paywall.

So even though advertising is still our biggest source of revenue, we also seek grants and reader support. (And no matter how our work is funded, we have strict guidelines on editorial independence.)

If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today? Any amount helps.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via